Lakeshore surges in new construction

The lakeshore counties ended 2007 on an uptick, posting strong growth in residential and nonresidential starts, according to F.W. Dodge, a division of McGraw-Hill Cos. Other metropolitan statistical areas in western Michigan, such as Kalamazoo-Portage, continued their suffering which had only $500,000 in commercial construction. Still, that's $500,000 more than Benton Harbor ....

The Battle Creek MSA, consisting of Calhoun County, gained some ground in November, posting five times the nonresidential starts of 2006. November 2007 brought $5.27 million in nonresidential, but a 17 percent loss in residential, down to $1.58 million. Total building starts for November 2007 grew about six times the figure of 2006, up to $6.85 million.

Year-to-date as of November 2007, nonresidential had fallen 55 percent in Battle Creek, down to $17.64 million. Residential slid two percent to $31.24 million, leaving total building starts down 31 percent at $48.88 million.

The Grand Rapids-Wyoming MSA, consisting of Barry, Kent, Ionia and Newaygo Counties, saw a mixed bag in November, with nonresidential down 86 percent to $9.06 million compared to November 2006. Residential, though, grew 85 percent to $49.16 million, leaving total building starts down 36 percent at $58.22 million.

Year-to-date, it's the opposite story -- the MSA grew nonresidential 31 percent to $588.76 million. Residential declined 44 percent to $355.1 million, so total building starts for the first 11 months of 2007 are 13 percent less than the same period in 2006.

The Holland-Grand Haven MSA, consisting of Ottawa County, saw another month of positive growth, with nonresidential starts up about six times more than November 2006 at $6.9 million. Residential also grew, for the second straight month, up to $11.58 million -- six percent over past November. Total building contracts jumped 53 percent to $18.48 million.

Year-to-date, the lakeshore can brag for most of 2007. Non-residential numbers are way up, with nonresidential numbers more than doubling the first 11 months of 2006 at $186.18 million. Residential has grown 10 percent to $195.6 million, leaving total building contracts in 2007 46 percent more than 2006 at $381.77 million.

November was a rough month for Kalamazoo-Portage MSA, consisting of Kalamazoo and Van Buren Counties, which saw nonresidential starts shoot down 67 percent to $569,000. Residential fell 28 percent to $10.14 million, leaving total building starts off 33 percent compared to last year at $10.71 million.

The Muskegon-Norton Shores MSA, consisting of Muskegon County, turned some numbers around, posting another month of positive growth in nonresidential construction. That category more than doubled from November 2006, up to $11.74 million. Residential tanked, however, down 63 percent to $1.79 million. Total building starts grew 36 percent to $13.53 million.

Year-to-date, nonresidential has grown 52 percent so far in 2007 compared to the first 11 months of 2006, at $39.04 million. Residential declined 40 percent to $48 million, and total building contracts slipped 18 percent to $87.04 million.

For the Niles-Benton Harbor MSA, consisting of Berrien County, nonresidential starts sank to $0 in November, down from $2.13 million last November. Residential suffered a 23 percent drop to $6.43 million, leaving total building starts off 39 percent.

Year-to-date, with casino construction wrapped up, the MSA is down a whopping 96 percent in nonresidential construction at $6.51 million. Residential is off 33 percent compared to the first 11 months of 2006, at $92.35 million, leaving total building starts 69 percent less than this time last year at $98.87 million.